


It's What Friends Do

by akblake



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s01e09 Death in Chains, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-19 01:55:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1451101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akblake/pseuds/akblake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabrielle grieves for Talus, and Xena is there to lend a shoulder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's What Friends Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kleinepfoetchen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kleinepfoetchen/gifts).



> For my best friend in the world, who loves the fandom and who could use a little comfort after a week's worth of nightmares. If only I wasn't half a world away, meine Freundin!

Gabrielle held herself together until after they left Sisyphus’s castle, though she trembled and didn’t recall a single step of the journey. Only once they were tucked around the campfire Xena set up with Argo dozing behind them did she give in and let the tears fall. Soon tears became gasps, and gasps became sobs, and Gabrielle wrapped her arms around herself as she choked on her grief at Talus’s fate.

Her back bowed until her forehead touched her tucked-up knees, and she hid her face from the fire’s revealing light. Even as she grieved, she didn’t want to show her weakness to Xena’s eyes; she truly did become attached too easily, and she didn’t miss her friend’s exasperated looks when she latched onto a new person, though Gabrielle rarely defended her open heart.

So it was completely natural that she nearly jumped out of her skin when warm, bare arms gently encouraged her to sit upright so that they could wrap around her from behind, and she was eased back against a muscular body. It was enough to halt her tears, though she still shuddered and shook with the force of her emotions.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Xena’s voice whispered in her ear. “Let out your grief for him now so that later you can speak of him often and remind him that he’s still cared for.” Gabrielle’s head was tucked under her friend’s chin, and a hand ghosted down her hair as the tears returned. Of course Talus would hear her speak of him; his gentle spirit could only have gone to the Elysian Fields, and she’d forgotten that she could still talk to him even if she couldn’t hear his reply.

The two spent much of the night in that position- Gabrielle tucked into Xena's comforting embrace, and her friend providing warmth for both body and spirit. When at last she found herself spent and her eyes closing with exhaustion, Gabrielle tried to push herself to her feet, but her legs had gone numb while she sat. Instead, Xena easily shifted her over into her furs and helped her pull them around to guard against the night’s chill. “Thank you,” Gabrielle murmured as she fought off the Siren’s call of sleep for just a few moments longer.

A gentle hand stroked warmth down the side of her face while lips pressed a faint kiss to her forehead. “It’s what friends do,” Xena whispered back. Gabrielle was fast asleep before she heard the sound of her friend’s footsteps moving away.


End file.
